52D. Wee hr., and a hint to a feature common to this puzzle's four longest answers : TWO AM

Argyle here. A theme excellent in its simplicity with some sparkly fill and we're good to go.

Across:

1. Cereal dish : BOWL. Remember we get cereal from Ceres, the goddess of agricultural fertility.

5. Defame in print : LIBEL. Slander - defamation by oral utterance.

10. Brink : EDGE

14. New York City theater award : OBIE. The off-Broadway award. Tony is the on-Broadway award.

15. Dutch-speaking Caribbean island : ARUBA

16. Dianetics creator Hubbard : L. RON. Dianetics is a set of ideas and practices regarding the metaphysical relationship between the mind and body which was created by L. Ron Hubbard and is practiced by followers of Scientology and separate independent Dianeticist groups. Wikipedia

Smooth sailing, on this Wednesday-like puzzle, more perp dependent than most Mondays, but easy.The theme answers had 2 long A sounds, 1 short a sound, and one silent A.ELVIRA was one of my MIL's favorite line dances. She was still dancing it at 90. She was a square dancer, too. At 80+ MIL stopped square dancing, but did kept on line dancing at the senior centers. We sometimes dance line dances between square dance tips (sets.) Elvira

Today is a very special day - Happy Birthday, C.C.! You have made this blog a special place for friends to gather, have fun, get advice, or just plain vent. Many of us start our day with you, and personally, I have learned and grown from knowing you. Thank you!!¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫¸¸¸.•*¨*♫♥♫

Like Barry, I thought it was just rhyming phrases. Unfortunately, I never saw the "reveal," so didn't realize the extra level until coming here. I should have known that Jerome would throw in a bonus for us!!

Argyle, I chuckled when I saw what you linked for Jimmy Hendrix. Last week when we had TIE DYE for “Woodstock style,” I was going to link Jimi Hendrix playing The Star Spangled Banner. But John Sebastian’s tie dye pants were famously “Woodstock.”

A very happy birthday, CC, to a very special person. You take such good care of the Corner and all its posters.Although only a paraphrase of what Captain Kirk used to say, "Beam me up, Scotty," has become an idiom for get me out of this mess.My SIL used it in a different way. On arriving late at my sister's for a family get together I was frustrated at driving though fog in heavy traffic. I said that when I woke up that morning and saw the fog I didn't really want to come there. Realizing that could be misunderstood, I quickly added, but I wanted to be there. My SIL quipped,"Beam me up, Scotty."Sometimes it would be nice to travel that way, though most of the time I enjoy the drive.

A great theme idea for today's puzzle. I did need the unifier to see it though. Once again I was looking at whole words to try to determine what was going on. Thanks for the fun, Jerome!

~ I liked INONE crossing IONE.

~ I seem to remember NAMBY PAMBY often being used by the character Denny Crane (William Shatner) on TV's Boston Legal some years ago - usually when he was speaking to Alan Shore (James Spader.)

~ Thanks for the write-up, Argyle. I find it interesting that so many of the quotes from movies we've come to be familiar with were never actually spoken. "Play it Again, Sam" comes to mind, and now "Beam Me Up, Scotty," Many more, I'm sure.

~ A very Happy Birthday to you, dear C.C. ~ Wishing you a wonderful day and a year filled with happy times!

What a perfect birthday present for C.C., a Jerome puzzle. Many happy returns of the day C.C., in the grand hobbit tradition you give us a present everyday by maintaining your creation; where we all can come and comment, grouse, laugh, share joys and pains and learn.

Jerome I really enjoyed the puzzle, and Argyle, the better the puzzle, the better your write up, thanks.

All the Woodstock links lately, memories and the incomprehensible fact that 45 years have passed since that weekend in the mud listening to the most amazing music...

Musings-Like others said, the rhyming words seemed to be a sufficient theme and so I missed the AM AM device. Duh! Very nice, Jerome!-Accusations about a man who used to run our humane have our town abuzz. His successor found that $250,000 seems to be missing and she found out many, many animals were euthanized without any records. He’d better have a good story or sue for LIBEL!-The best an UMP can hope for is to remain anonymous-Four-letter Shakespeare villain? Who ya gonna call? Others Keith?-If kids won’t listen to the FDA about tobacco, maybe they’ll pay attention to the tragedy of superstar Tony Gwynn-A BONUS or other perks never appeared in my teacher pay-Soccer has appropriated the OLE chant (:24). I much prefer this sport!-Happy Birthday C.C.! I concur with Lemon that you deserve many presents since you have provided this blog as one to us. How would you be celebrating back in the land of your birth?-BLAME GAME – For what fiasco did JFK say, “Success has many fathers but failure is an orphan”

I don't get delivery on Mon-Tues, and the Barnacle's website was misbehavin', so I had to do Jerome's puzzle on my tablet typing with a stylus. Still came in under seven, so that's ok. I did think ODESSA and SAMOS were a little chewy for a Monday.

Husker, just a hunch that it was the Bay of Pigs. That's the only major fiasco that comes to mind.

First, a Very Happy Birthday to CC and a Very Big Thank You for creating and nurturing what has become a very important part of many of our lives. I, for one, consider the Corner a home away from home, populated by a group of friendly, caring, diverse and interesting " friends.". Three cheers to all, especially CC!

The puzzle was fun; didn't catch the AM AM until the reveal. Had bran/bowl and thought Samos a little chewy for a Monday but perps were good. Thanks, Jerome, to a great start to the week and thanks, Argyle, for a great review.

Belated Happy Anniversary wishes to Nancy and Steve. Hope you celebrated in style!

OwenKL, I stare at the cryptic clues longer than I would like...but keep em coming! Maybe some day I will get the hang of them. Yesterday's was totally over my head. I was wondering how a stable could be big enough to hide an entire race track. Doh!

First things 1st...Happy Belated Birthday to Barry G. I enjoy your get to the point posts of the daily puzzles. WBS.

Happy Birthday to our beloved blogger and creator C.C.! Thanks for this little place for like NERDS to hang.

I finally got this puzzle - hard for me was the EL/LE placements. MOBEL, LIBEL, YODLE were all backwards at 1st creating an ink mess. I did love Jerome's theme (got it after 17a & 11d), but WEES, re: some chewy Monday clues and related crosses (I really enjoyed those).

Fav - SCOTTY - gotta love the engineers :-)

Argyle - I was born after Woodstock but love the music of that era. JIMI link is my cup-o'-tea.

Happy Birthday C.C.! And although your Twins beat the CWS 4 games in a row a couple weeks ago, I will actually root for the Twins tonite ( of course, this will be the first, last , & only time that I do this!) only because it's your B-Day. Hopefully your husband is taking you to the game.

Happy birthday, my dear C.C.! I hope you have a whoppingly great celebration. You have my eternal thanks for this lovely blog you created.

I was ELATED to see Jerome's byline once again and though it was quick as a flash, it was fun .

BOWL/BONUS immediately flew in place and I was off to the finish. Would a date with EILVIRA be a DREAM TEAM?

One of the best books ever written is the ODESSA Files by Ken Follett. It looks like a beautiful city; but then, it has a beach which is lovely to DREAM about in this 100+ weather. The same with SAMOS and ARUBA. I'd be careful about the latter, though, as mysterious events seem to happen there.

Barbara and I used to go country/western dancing and I remember the line dance to Elvira. Well, I don't remember how to do the dance as much as I remember doing it. That was always the problem with doing the two-step. I would learn some fancy moves, we would get to where we could do it while looking OK in the process; then a couple of weeks would go by without dancing and I would forgot most of it.

Re; cryptic clues. I think they're very clever but I remain on the outside looking in. Owen, I'm guessing it's like some of my math puzzles. Almost everybody here knows enough basic math to solve them but they see something related to math and their brain closes off and heads back to crossword puzzles.

Hi Y'all! Fast & fun, Jerome! Only unknown was SAMOS, but perps took care of such momentary holdups. Did anyone else notice that a little below SAMOS was a repeat of those letters in FAMOU(S AMOS)? Since I was working down the east side, the SAMOS appeared twice and I did a double take.

Happy Birthday, dearest C.C.! WEES, Amen!

Great expo, Argyle! Love the bass part on ELVIRA. I'll have that rumbling around in my head for a week. I had never heard Jimi Hendrixes "Star Spangled Banner". I was busy with babies when Woodstock occurred and it had no impact on my life at all. I didn't even own anything tie-dyed, unlike most of my peers.

Speaking of the goddess of agri-fertility, my wheat crop is still moldering in the field. I talked to my farmer yesterday. It was too dry to make a good crop, now it is too wet to get the machines in to harvest. The reports are that weeds are growing and bugs have set in. I'm glad I've been saving for a cropless year.

Thank you Jerome. I think NAMBY PAMBY is a toned down term that Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (R Lee Ermey) would have used in the opening scenes of Full Metal Jacket.

Argyle, I liked your write up and especially the reference to Ceres. Here, as Mari, JJM and Abejo probably know, Ceres stands atop the CBOT building at the corner of Jackson and LaSalle. She holds a sheaf of wheat in one hand, and a bag of corn in the other. CBOT CERES.

You may be right about minds closing things off. I read Owens clues and if I know all the words, I try to parse it (today he had Appaloosa - all I could think is Mountain folk?). Saturday puzzles do this to me too.

Math is so much easier to see - esp. if it's a puzzle. Break it down into simple steps and you've BEGAN.* I do enjoy trying to suss out Owen's cryptics, but only so often am I smart enough.

Owen's limericks should be published in a book along side the puzzle answers. C, -T

Dudley, this website might provide a fun diversion while you wait for your plane to come in.

Here is a note to help you get more out of your visit to this site. These are all the aircraft in the air right now. In the left hand column, there is a box called "planes". The number in the box is the number of aircraft airborne. This view is what the various airport air traffic management people see for planning purposes.

Some additional tricks:Drag the map to take you to the area you want to view.To view your region or town, you can zoom in by tapping with your mouse.On the map you will see all the planes in the air.When you click on an airplane, on the left screen you will get all the related information: airline, plane type, air speed, altitude in real time that is re-calculated every 10 seconds.On some you can also Click on view from the cockpit. Double click a city and the entire itinerary appears for every flight.

Dear C.C., have a wonderful, wonderful Birthday today! You have created a virtual family for all of us here in the Corner, and I always feel that you watch over us and care for us with your birthday and anniversary and other photos and news. We are so thankful to you. I hope you post photos of your day tomorrow!

Barry, I don't do the Sunday puzzle so I missed your Birthday yesterday, glad you had a lovely relaxed day!

Finally, thank you, Jerome and Argyle, for a great puzzle and a fun write-up. I loved the photo of Odessa--so different from the images of Ukraine we've been seeing on the news this year.

I seem to remember there were WIMPY hamburger joints in England many years ago.

I goofed at first on my favorite clue by putting SAY YES instead of SAY I DO. Boy, am I thankful I had a chance to give up the single life 20 years ago!

Speaking of BOMBs, I just returned a Kindle library loan, Black Bird, by Michel Basilieres. It was given 5 stars and raves on many sites with almost no negative comments. I would look at the Kindle lying there and just walk away or pick it up to surf the web. I didn't care who did what in the story. If I like a book, I read it practically non stop, often most of the night. I think this intensity adds greatly to my enjoyment and fixes new vocabulary in my mind. I don't learn much from books that are a chore to read. For my taste, this author LAID AN EGG.I have the same problem with some movie reviews. I don't always agree with the raves and sometimes I love a movie that has only a few stars.

Owen, keep the cryptic puzzles coming. Seeing many examples along with the answers might eventually click with us. I now understand the ones you post after the fact, but still cannot decipher them by myself.

Anon T., I actually read most of the article you linked on algorithms, but it was definitely more fun to look at all the graphics! I read “The Fractal Geometry of Nature” by Mandelbrot, and that brought the theory closer to my comfort zone. It was fascinating! I think we each have our own areas of interest that we will spend hours exploring, and other things that just make our eyes glaze over in the first paragraph.

Anon @ 12:18, what a fun link to all the planes! I never realized that there were so many in my neck of the woods between Boston and NYC! I could not get the cockpit view – it says “The Google Maps API key used on this web site was registered for a different web site. The developer of this web site can generate a new key here.” But when I click “here” I get a 404 error. Oh well, still a fun link!

YR @ 1:31, I know what you mean about books. On Friday evening, our book club chose “The Sandcastle Girls” by Chris Bohjalian for our next meeting. I downloaded it on Saturday, and finished reading it on Sunday – I just couldn’t put it down!

A Monday morning speed run! At 1A I had bran; that got changed to BOWL rather quickly, and then I was done! I even got the them today. Thanks, Brad, for the great start to the week! Argyle, great expo, as usual!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, C.C.! Thank you so much for the blog! It's become a favorite part of my day. I hope your day is wonderful!

Marti: I haven't yet read The Sandcastle Girls, but it is on my list. I read Skeletons at the Feast, by Chris Bojhalian and it was excellent. Let me also recommend The Pearl that Broke Its Shell, by Nadia Hashimi. I think you would really like that. It is about women in Afghanistan.

Hahtoolah and killy, thanks for the recommendations. I don't think I have ever read a book recommended by someone on this blog that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. So you can be sure yours will be added to my list!

I think the thing that surprised me most about the book was the fact that it was written by a man, but had sensitive insight into the plight of the women in the Armenian holocaust.

klily, HeartRx, and Hahtoolah: Another great author of historical fiction, IMHO, is Phillipa Gregory. My favorite so far is "The Other Boleyn Girl". We read it a couple years ago in our book club and it was very popular.

AnonT, I enjoyed your link to the algorithms webpage. I would be lying if I said I understood all of it but I found most of it interesting, especially the graphics. Thanks.

While flipping through the movie channels last night, I came across Monsters University. It had already started but I watched a little of it and found myself laughing out loud several times in a few minutes. I found the rest of it showing at a later time and recorded it all. I haven't finished it yet but I give it a big thumbs up for being highly entertaining. The quality of the best animated films has always amazed me; back from Disney classics to the best of the modern CGI.

Bill G & Marti - I never said I understood all of the algorithm link, but it is way cool. When I try my hand at coding I do try to "see" how it works, but usaually I BRUTUS my way through.*

Book club folks (Lucina, pje, Marti, eta)l, I'm normaly not a fiction guy but I will look into Tracy C. Heck, I just watched Hunger Games with the girls lat night (TL;DR - distopic - stick with Orwell if you want a downer of a premise).

CED - I for one am sad not to see your links today. HG or Manac will have to step it up. :-) Enjoy your trip!

Cheers, -T*Yes I know today was a NAMBYPAMBY WIMPY and Brutus was so yesterday (er, Friday?)

Subbing for CrossEyedDave:Namby Pamby Jackwagon was a sergeant's catchphrase in some movie. Anyone know which one?I used to listen to motivational tapes by Famous Amos when I was in "that stage" of my life.Soccer Dream Team.Blame Game

That 1st link looked like one of my drill sergeants back in the day. And I'd never be able to focus on the pitch if that was the opposing team - no, I'm not feeling lucky for Famous Amos*. CED OWEs you one :-)

Spitz - I'm going to go back and watch Norwegians having fun, but I'm ready to GONG (Its a cruddy clip, but has Steve Martin in it)

"Bayonet (Golf Course), which opened in 1954, is steeped in golf and military history. Created on the site of the former Fort Ord by General Robert B. McClure, it was christened in honor of the 7th Infantry Light Fighter Division (nicknamed the "Bayonet Division").

Always stimulating and in spectacular shape, and with Monterey Bay as its inspiring backdrop, the remodeled Bayonet is ready for the new era to begin.

Previously only enjoyed by military personnel stationed at Fort Ord, these magnificent courses have only recently been opened to the public, and many who would never have had the opportunity to play them finally have that chance."